My Sister's Keeper
by Mei2
Summary: A relative comes to visit. A BTVS/Angel/WWE crossover.
1. Prologue

Title: My Sister's Keeper

Crossover: BTVS/WWE/Angel

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the demented concept. All BTVS and Angel characters belong to Joss Whedon. All WWE characters belong to the WWE.

Summary: A relative comes for a visit.

Notes:

1) Set after "Tabula Rasa" on BTVS and in between "Fredless" and "Billy" in _Angel_. Caritas wasn't destroyed in a shootout, and the no-violence spell affects both demons and humans. As for the WWE elements, it mostly takes place in RAW-land circa 2002.

2) You don't necessarily need to know much about wrestling. In fact, things have changed significantly over the years. It's more of a backdrop for the action.

3) For clarification, 'Spike' will always refer to the wrestler Spike Dudley rather than the vampire William the Bloody.

Prologue

The full moon shone down as the woman cautiously walked toward the alley. Her thick blond braid was in bright contrast to the shadows that danced around her. She peered into the darkness searching for a sign.

He's here. She could practically sense him. Her right hand snaked to the inside pocket of her black leather jacket and pulled out a wooden stake. An odd shuffling caused her to turn just in time to get slammed against a brick wall.

He seemed to be a teenager, not much taller than her, but he was strong and pinned her in place. Before he could get his teeth into her, she kneed him hard in the groin causing him to double over and release his hold. When he straightened up, his face had morphed to reveal his true nature, and he backslapped her with enough force to knock her to the ground.

Stupid, she scolded herself as the stake flew out of her hand, you should have dusted him when you had the chance.

As he advanced upon her, she flipped to her feet, spun and kicked him in the chest. He doubled over again stunned. Charging to his left, she jumped, pushed off the wall with her feet and hooked his neck with her right arm. Her momentum helped drive his head into the pavement.

She turned him over and stabbed him with the spare stake from her jacket. The weapon hit its target, and the vampire disappeared. She coughed and shook her head as the dust settled on her. Getting to her feet, she found the stake she had dropped during the fight then put both into her jacket.

She started to walk out of the alley then stopped. A strange feeling came over her like she was being watched.

"Is anyone there?" she called out nervously.

There was no response.

She bit her lip as she slowly backed away. Instinctively, her fingers touched the small cross on her necklace. It was her good luck charm. Feeling better almost immediately, she left the alley and headed back to the hotel but didn't notice the dangerous figure that followed her.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Bubba Ray Dudley sat and watched her pace back and forth. Every few minutes she'd fiddle with the small cross around her neck, bite her lower lip, search the crowds that were unloading from the planes then start pacing again. She was a nervous ball of energy about to explode. "Honey, calm down. The plane's just a little delayed. He'll be here soon."

Trish Stratus stopped long enough to flash him a crooked smile. "Thanks for coming. I really appreciate it."

"What are boyfriends for? Since we have some time, why don't you tell me about him?" Bubba suggested and patted the seat next to him.

She sat down beside the big wrestler and leaned against his beefy shoulder. "My mum had relatives in England and decided to work there after graduating from university. She met this widower, fell in love and got married. There was a bit of adjustment because he had a son from his previous marriage, but everything seemed to be okay. Then I came along.

"I'm not exactly sure why, but my parents started fighting. When I was five, they divorced, and Mum took me back to Canada. My brother stayed in England."

Bubba gave her a gentle hug. "Did you get to visit each other much?"

"Not very often," she sighed regretfully, "but we write each other on a regular basis. It got a bit harder when I began to travel so much. I send him postcards, and he probably has one of the biggest collections of hotel stationary in the country. A friend of his set him up with an email account, but he still isn't used to it."

"So how does he feel about you becoming a wrestler?" Bubba asked tilting his head.

"Well, I think it raised some eyebrows," Trish admitted, "but so long as I'm happy, it's fine with him."

"Has he seen any of your matches live?"

"No, tonight will be the first time. Thank god it's not a bikini match. I'm so excited!" she gushed, stood up and started pacing again.

Bubba merely smiled and turned his attention to the monitors. "Looks like his flight's arrived."

Next thing Bubba knew he was being yanked out of the chair. For a little thing, she sure had a strong grip, he mused as she dragged him to the passenger unloading area. Bracing herself against him, she stood on tiptoe straining to find her brother. "There he is! There he is!"

Bubba looked to where she pointed and saw someone so different from his petite, blond girlfriend that he blinked in surprise.

The man was tall, had short, dark wavy hair with a touch of gray and wore glasses. He seemed to be searching the crowd then smiled as he heard Trish's squeal. She dropped Bubba's hand, ran then flung herself at him and gave him a big hug. The man visibly relaxed and wrapped his arm around her.

She grinned from ear to ear as she brought him to Bubba. "Honey, I'd like you to meet my brother, Rupert Giles."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Tom ducked into the locking dock of the arena and caught his breath. The place was crawling with people. Must hide, he repeated to himself like a mantra.

Keeping near the wall, he tried to blend in and eventually found an unlocked supply closet. He snuck in, leaned against the closed door and thought back on how he got himself into this mess.

Tom and his friends always had an interest in the occult. Over the past few years, they acquired a couple of nifty things like a magic gourd and a copy of the "Tiberius Manifesto." Then Joey bought a replica of the Orb of Scelus off of eBay. Problem was the orb turned out to be real.

They met at Joey's apartment to figure out what to do with it. The assault happened so fast. The monsters came out of nowhere and brutally attacked them. Before one of the creatures killed him, Joey threw the orb to Tom yelling for him to run. Tom dove out the window and fled as fast as he could.

He had no particular destination in mind so he was surprised to find himself at the arena. At least for the moment, he was relatively safe, but he still didn't know what to do next.

The orb was burning a hole in his pocket. He wanted nothing more than to throw it away and forget he ever heard of it, but that would be irresponsible. It would also dishonor his friends' deaths, and he couldn't do that. What he needed was some advice. He sat there considering his dwindling options when inspiration stuck. There was someone who could help him. Hopefully.

Tom decided to hide the orb. That way if something did happen to him before he got some help at least the monsters wouldn't get their hands on it. He looked around, grabbed a roll of electrical tape and climbed a small stepladder. Placing the orb on the top shelf, he secured it with the tape. It'll be safer here, he thought and left before he had a chance to change his mind.

ooOoo

The air in the arena's boiler room sparked with a strange energy. Steam seeped through leaks in the pipes. Ominously, a large creature wearing armor and a horned helmet slowly stepped out of the vapor. Its eyes glowed red as it reached for the door.

ooOoo

The small orb began to strain against its bonds. An odd light pulsed from deep within it. Must be free. Must be free. A metallic tapping echoed in the closet as the orb bounced on the shelf. The sound got more frantic until it finally broke free, punctured the grating directly above and went spinning into the vent.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Giles finished unpacking. He was glad he decided to visit his sister before returning to England. After everything that happened in Sunnydale, he needed to unwind, and who knew how long it would be until he got to see Patricia again.

Trish, he reminded himself, she prefers Trish.

As he got ready to go to the arena, he thought back to how it all began. His mother had always acted as a buffer between him and his father. When she died, their relationship became quite strained. They hardly saw each other. When he wasn't away at school, he went on holidays with friends.

He was taken off guard when his father announced his engagement to some woman from Canada. Unsure of what to expect, he found her surprisingly charming. Though she told him she didn't intend on taking his mother's place in his life, she did help bridge his relationship with his father to some extent.

A year after the wedding, Patricia Elizabeth Giles was born. By then, most of the world saw him as the archetypal 'angry young man', but with Patricia, he was the doting older brother.

Once he entered Oxford, his father began to pressure him again. Both of them were flabbergasted when his stepmother felt that he should be allowed to choose whether or not to be a watcher. However, no amount of reasoning would sway his father so Giles dropped out of university, moved to London and dabbled with dark magic. Like most youth, he thought he was indestructible. Randell's death showed him otherwise, and the knowledge shook him to the core.

Shortly afterwards, his stepmother paid him a visit and told him that his father mentioned grooming Patricia to be a watcher. Apparently one way or another the family watcher legacy would continue. She pleaded with him to talk with his father. He agreed and made a bargain that sealed his fate. He said he would become a watcher on the condition that Patricia would not. His father conceded.

Unfortunately, his father's marriage began to crumble, and they divorced. Before she left England, Giles took his five year old sister to see _Mary Poppins_ at a revival theatre and gave her the small cross that she wore to this day.

Despite the hardships and heartaches that followed, he never regretted his decision. He survived living on a hellmouth, helped save the world several times and had witnessed the most unorthodox slayer that ever lived in action.

A knock on his door brought him out of his musings. "Rupert, are you ready?"

He grinned, checked the mirror one last time and opened the door to find his sister waiting. "As ready as I'll ever be."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

To see it on television was one thing. To see it live was something else entirely. The pyrotechnics, the flashing lights, the pounding music, the roar of the crowd. It was quite a spectacle, and his little sister was part of it.

She said he could either watch her match out in the audience or on the monitor in the Dudleys' dressing room. He said if he had wanted to watch it on the television he could have stayed in the hotel. Trish smiled almost bashfully and made the arrangements. Next thing he knew Giles found himself sitting behind the WWE commentary team, surrounded by fans watching Billy Gunn and Lance Storm battle it out in the ring.

Despite being smaller, Storm was a superb technical wrestler and had been in control for much of the match. Gunn flung him across the ring into the ropes and bent over to flip his opponent over his back, but Storm dropkicked him to the mat on the rebound.

Giles overheard the commentators say that Storm appeared to be setting up one of his finishing moves, a sharpshooter. As he flipped his opponent onto his stomach, he twisted the man's legs around his own applying pressure to the knees and back. From what Giles could see of Gunn's expression, it was a painful hold. Gunn submitted, and eventually Storm released him.

The referee raised Storm's arm in victory, and the combatants left the ring. Giles straightened up in his seat. Trish's match was next. He still found it hard to reconcile the image of a little girl in pigtails with strawberry jam smeared on her face with that of the beautiful WWE Ladies' champion that half the audience lusted after.

An attractive blond announcer entered the ring, and the bell rang. "Ladies and gentlemen, the following non-title contest is scheduled for one fall. Making her way to the ring being accompanied by Christopher Nowinski, Molly Holly!"

The fan reaction was somewhat negative as a brunette wearing a sleeveless white top and black pants walked down the ramp along with a tall, muscular blond man. He stayed in one corner outside the ring while the woman climbed through the ropes.

"Now making her way to the ring is the current WWE Women's champion, Trish Stratus!"

The crowd roared to its feet. Giles was amazed by the reaction. He read the signs some of the fans had raised.

"Trish Stratus Rulez!" "I Luv You Trish!" "Stratusfaction Forever!" "Puppy Power!"

Giles didn't quite understand the last poster and wasn't sure he wanted to. Instead, he turned his attention back to his sister. Beneath a black trenchcoat, she wore a glittery purple top with matching pants. The championship belt was around her waist. She waved her cowboy hat as she came down the ramp. When she entered the ring, she shrugged out of the trenchcoat, took off the belt and raised it above her head before handing it to the announcer. The bell rang, and the fight began.

It was a hard fought match with the action not necessarily confined within the ring. Every once in a while Chris would interfere and cost Trish the pin. Giles could feel the Ripper inside him starting to emerge.

Molly slammed Trish to the mat then kicked her in the side for good measure. The crowd jeered as she slowly walked to the corner to set up for a flying elbow smash. Her cockiness gave Trish enough time to recover. As Molly positioned herself on the turnbuckle, Trish sprinted toward her, grabbed the bottom ropes and did a handstand. Scissoring the brunette's head, she pulled the woman to the mat.

The crowd counted as the ref slapped the canvas then booed loudly as Chris yanked on Trish's ankle pulling her off of Molly. Giles felt a twinge of pride as his sister kicked the jerk in the face sending him crashing into the security barrier.

Molly grabbed Trish by the hair and hauled her to her feet. Unfortunately for her, Trish was still furious about Chris' interference. She punched Molly hard in the stomach causing her to double over. Trish pulled free of Molly's grasp, kicked her twice in the stomach then, looping an arm around her neck, spun and pulled Molly to the mat backwards. This time Trish hooked Molly's leg to secure the pin.

"1...2...3!" the ref counted.

Giles applauded loudly as the man raised his sister's arm in victory then gasped as Molly dropkicked Trish in the back. His concern grew as Chris entered the ring knocking the ref through the ropes. When the man trapped Trish's arms behind her back, Giles was ready to intervene himself.

Molly stalked toward the struggling blond. When she was close enough, Trish braced herself against Chris and kicked Molly in the chest with both feet. Seeing a flash of blue and blond heading toward her, she ducked down as much as she could, and Jeff Hardy clotheslined Chris to the canvas. He landed with a thud and loosened his grip allowing Trish to escape.

Molly slowly got to her feet. Jeff said something to Trish who nodded with a smile. He grabbed her wrist and swung her hard into the ropes giving her enough momentum to clothesline Molly on the rebound. The brunette flipped over the top rope and onto the floor. Jeff dropkicked Chris with the same result.

Molly and Chris ranted as they went up the ramp and watched as Jeff raised Trish's arm then pointed at the Harvard graduate. Although their match was scheduled for later that evening, Jeff was ready to start now. Chris waved him off and left with Molly.

Jeff gave Trish a quick hug and escorted her out of the ring. My sister has some very interesting friends, Giles thought.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Stacy Kiebler would be the first to admit that she was a bit of a flirt though she preferred to think of it as being friendly. The leggy blond was making her way to the ring to referee a match between Torrie Wilson and Dawn Marie. As usual, one of the cameracrew followed her as she strutted down the corridor.

On a whim, she did a pirouette and tripped over her bootlace. Unable to regain her balance, her arms windmilled as she began to fall. She was surprised when she felt two strong arms catch her. She looked up to find an older, distinguished man steadying her.

"Are you alright?" he asked in a kind voice.

"Yeah, I think so," she blushed. "I'm not usually so clumsy."

"Here, allow me," he said and, placing her foot against his thigh, tied her bootlace.

"Thank you, Mr...uh,"

"Giles. Rupert Giles."

"Stacy. Stacy Kiebler," she said. Putting her foot on the floor, he shook her hand.

"Yo Stacy! C'mon," one of the production assistants shouted. "Nowinski and Hardy are beating the crap outta each other. Their match'll be over soon then you're up."

"I have to go," she told the man regretfully. "Maybe I'll see you later?"

"Perhaps," he said.

"Stacy!" the assistant shouted.

"Coming!" she shouted back then said coyly. "Bye."

"Good-bye," he smiled then turned and walked toward the locker rooms.

Stacy slowly walked backwards so she could watch his retreating form. With an accent like that, he probably knows William Regal, she thought making a mental note to find out later.

ooOoo

Jeff speared Chris twice in the corner with his shoulder then flipped the rookie to the mat. The crowd cheered as he climbed to the top turnbuckle, threw his blue-blond head back, spread his arms wide then leapt executing a perfect Swanton bomb.

Jeff pinned Chris for the three count, and the ref declared him the winner. He slid out of the ring, jogged up the ramp and headed backstage. He ran into Torrie and wished her luck with her match.

As he made his way back to the locker room he was sharing with Edge and the Dudleys, he caught something odd in the corner of his eye. He turned for a better look, but whatever it was already past. As strange as it seemed, he thought he saw a seven-foot tall guy with horns. Maybe there was someone new on the roster, he thought as he continued to walk, or maybe the Rock's Brahma bull thing is getting out of control.

When he got to the locker room, he found Trish there with her brother watching Torrie's match on the monitor.

"Congrats on the win," she said, "and thanks for the help."

"Any excuse to beat on Nowinski," Jeff shrugged. "I told Bubba I'd keep an eye on him."

"I'd like to thank you as well," Giles said. "I confess I was about to go in to help regardless of security."

"Chris is lucky you got to him before Rupert did," Trish said. "You don't want to see my big brother angry."

"Isn't that what all younger siblings say?" Jeff observed. "Nice spinning neckbreaker."

The others turned to the monitor to watch Torrie pin Dawn Marie for the win.

"Yeah," Trish said proudly. "I've been helping her with that."

"So the Dudleys and the Guerreros are up next?" Jeff asked. When Trish nodded, he continued, "I hope they're okay to go out later. With Matt visiting Lita and you two doing the family thing, it wouldn't be as much fun if it's just Edge and me."

"But it would be more dangerous," Trish commented. "They'll be fine. It's not like it's a TLC match."

"TLC match?" Giles asked.

"It's usually a tag-team match where the championship belts are suspended above the ring," she explained. "To win, you have to get to the belts, and the wrestlers are allowed to beat each other using ladders..."

"and tables," Jeff added.

"and chairs," Trish finished.

"Oh my," Giles said visibly paling.

"Yeah," Jeff agreed. "They can be pretty brutal."

"You would know," Trish said. "You're an expert when it comes to TLCs."

"Why thank you," Jeff said with a little bow. There was loud banging in the vent above. "What was that?"

"Don't know. It comes and goes. Stephanie's going to have the building's maintenance crew check it out," Trish said, "and the first shower head is broken."

"We should give you some privacy," Giles said ready to leave when Jeff just smiled and shook his head.

"'S okay. I promise not to flash anyone," the young wrestler assured them as he grabbed a towel and a change of clothes and headed for the showers.

Giles and Trish turned their attention back to the monitor. The Dudleys' match was well underway.

"What is the audience saying?" Giles asked.

"Get the tables," Trish replied.

"But I thought you said it wasn't a TLC match."

"It's not, but many of the Dudleys' matches end up with someone going through a table. Seems like they've put most people around here through a table. Even me."

"Excuse me?" Giles asked enunciating each syllable.

"Well, that was before we were dating," Trish smiled sheepishly.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Although her friends were nice if unusual, it felt good to spend some time alone with his sister, Giles thought as he helped her on with her leather jacket. They found a Japanese restaurant near the hotel and had a good long visit over some sushi and tempura.

Giles asked Trish if she intended on returning to school and go into sports medicine like she once planned. She said she wasn't sure. Though she didn't rule it out altogether, she was having a lot of fun right now and had made enough money to pay off her student loans and buy a house.

Trish asked if he was returning to the British Museum now that he was going back to England. He said he wasn't sure what he planned on doing once he got settled back home but was confident something would turn up.

They were walking back to the hotel when the hairs on the back of Giles' neck rose. Living on a hellmouth taught him to trust his instincts. He held onto his sister's arm and quickened his pace.

Trish noticed the change in his demeanor. "Is something wrong?"

"It's probably nothing," Giles said not slowing down, "but it feels like someone's following us."

"Not so much following as surrounding," a voice replied.

A young man wearing torn jeans, a black t-shirt and jacket stepped out of an alley. A look around them confirmed the man's comment as six other people of similar age and dress emerged out of the darkness.

"Look, we don't want any trouble," Giles said trying to diffuse the situation.

"That's really too bad," the leader said, "'cause you're about to be neck deep in it now. Is that her?"

"Yeah, she's the one who dusted Ricky."

Giles pushed Trish behind him. He felt her slip something very familiar into his hand and heard her whisper, "you go right."

"Get them," the leader ordered.

The gang vamped out and attacked. Giles turned right and Trish turned left each staking a vampire before being captured. Two vampires held Giles by the arms while a third held Trish from behind.

"If you touch her, I'll kill you," Giles growled as another vampire walked toward his sister.

The vampire laughed at the threat. The leader asked, "you and what army?"

"This one," a voice said from behind.

The leader barely had time to register the statement before he disappeared in a cloud of dust. The assailant went on to tackle the vampire approaching Trish. Giles felt his arms being released as his captors fought with two more new arrivals. As his rescuers seemed to have things well in hand, Giles headed for his sister. Dust exploded behind her as a fourth person staked the vampire that held her.

"Are you alright?" he asked hugging her.

"I'm fine," Trish assured him. "Thanks to ..."

"Angel Investigations. We help the helpless," the tall brunette behind her said. "We would have called you on your cellphone to warn you, Giles. Oh wait, that's right. You don't have a cellphone."

"Luckily, Cordelia's 'intuition' is pretty accurate," Angel said as he got up off the ground after staking the last vampire.

Stunned to see some of his former colleagues, Giles was at a lost of words so he said the first thing that came to his mind. "You cut your hair."

Cordelia touched her hair. "Yeah, you like it?"

Something inside Giles' relaxed at the remark. "It's very becoming."

Cordelia returned his smile and hugged him briefly. Giles shook Angel and Wesley's hand then pulled his sister close. "Patricia, I'd like to you meet Cordelia Chase, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce and Angel. I knew them back in Sunnydale. This is my sister."

"And this is our associate, Charles Gunn," Wesley said motioning to the tall black young man that helped him with the vampires that held Giles.

Gunn shook hands with Giles but looked intently at his sister. "You're Trish Stratus, aren't you?"

"Yes," she admitted. "It's my professional name."

"Aw, man! I'm a big fan," Gunn said shaking her hand then noticed the blank looks on his friends' faces. "She's Trish Stratus. Current WWE Ladies' Champion. You know, World Wrestling Entertainment."

"You mean that show you constantly watched claiming it's self-defense research?" Cordelia asked.

"Yup, and she totally kicks butt."

"Well I try," Trish said modestly.

"So what brings you to town?" Angel asked Giles.

"I thought I'd use this stopover to visit my sister before returning to England," he replied. "And you?"

"Well, like Angel said, Cordelia had a 'feeling'," Wesley explained.

"Kind of like the one I'm having now," Cordelia groaned.

Angel caught her before she fell. Giles watched in horror as the vision overwhelmed the young woman causing her body to convulse.

She gasped as her eyes sprang open. "Giles, you and Trish. You're in big trouble."

"What did you see?" Giles asked anxiously.

"You and Trish were in an open area with cement walls. Like a warehouse, only not, and you were in trouble," she said then, glancing at Trish, added. "Sunnydale trouble."

Fear grabbed Giles' heart like a fist and squeezed. "Now?"

She blinked trying to recall the vision. She shook her head slowly. "I don't think so."

"We'll do some digging and get back to you tomorrow," Angel said.

"Come by around 1:00," Wesley said. "Hopefully by then we'll have some information."

"In the meantime, get some rest," Angel recommended.

"Should be no problem," Giles said rolling his eyes.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

They rode up the hotel elevator in silence. Trish could feel the tension rolling off her brother. When they reached her room, she took out her keycard. "Good night, Rupert."

He raised an eyebrow, plucked the keycard out of her hand, opened her door and gently shoved her into her room. "We have to talk."

"Here? Now?"

"Yes, here and now. That way you can't leave before we're done. Sit down," he said motioning to the foot of the bed. He went to the minibar and took out several bottles of liquid fortification. He opened the scotch first and downed the contents in one gulp. "How long have you been staking vampires?"

"A little while," she said vaguely.

"How long?"

"About a year and a half," she said and watched him down the gin. "I always take spare stakes and my cross. I don't take stupid risks."

His eyes flashed. "Chasing after vampires alone is, by definition, a stupid risk." He took a deep breath. "How did you find out about vampires?"

"Well, it started when you went to Sunnydale," she said noticing the odd look on his face. "Oh come on, Rupert. You left a prestigious position at the British Museum to become a high school librarian in California. That's not exactly a typical career move."

He looked somewhat self-conscious, and she continued, "So I did a little research and found out that Sunnydale was once known as 'Boca del Infierno' or the hellmouth."

His eyes widen at that piece of knowledge.

"You phoned Mum once just after you got settled in Sunnydale. I overheard her ask about a Slayer."

"I'm sure you misheard," Giles said and finished the small bottle of vodka.

"In each generation, there is a Chosen One," Trish recited softly looking at the floor. "She and she alone will fight the demons, the vampires and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer."

Giles exhaled loudly like he had been punched in the chest. She could feel his eyes on her waiting for an explanation.

"It's amazing what one can find on the Internet and in the basement of a university library," she shrugged. "Anyway, I found a reference to something called the Watcher Council which tweaked a memory."

"What do you mean?" he asked cautiously.

"Remember when you came home just before you went back to Oxford? Well, I overheard you and Daddy talking in his study. He said something about him being a watcher and Granny being a watcher and by God one of his children would be a watcher. Before I could hear anymore, Mum found me, took me for a walk and gave me a little lecture about eavesdropping."

"Which you obviously took to heart," Giles commented then sighed. "So much for trying to protect you."

"Did you or Mum ever think that maybe I didn't need protecting?"

"You were 5 years old!"

"But I'm not now! Don't I deserve to know about my family history?"

"Perhaps we shouldn't have kept it from you for so long," Giles admitted as he leaned against the dresser, "but your mum and I wanted you to be able to choose your own destiny and not be a slave to tradition."

"Like you?"

"I made that choice."

"But maybe it would have been the right choice for me."

Giles thought it over for a moment then gave a little laugh. "Then maybe I'd have been a grocer."

Trish tilted her head. "Or a fighter pilot."

"Or a rock star," Giles smiled then sat beside her on the bed. "Look, I realized that I can't stop you from going after vampires, but please be careful, or as the Slayer once put it, 'be way extracurricular with it.'"

Trish took in his pleading gaze. "Okay, I promise. So, she said trying to changing the topic, you're going to meet your friends tomorrow? How scared should I be?"

"I'm not going to lie to you," he said. "If they say we may be in danger, we shouldn't take the warning lightly. Fortunately, they're very good at what they do. If anyone can help us, it's them. Try to get some sleep. We'll deal with it in the morning."


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

He had been running for so long. The monsters had chased him all over town. He had left the arena hours ago and was only now reaching his destination. His eyes darted everywhere searching for his pursuers.

Gathering his courage, Tom sprinted for the door. Upon leaving the relative safety of the alley, he sensed one of the monsters behind him. As he reached the door, he heard a high pitched whistling then felt a stabbing pain in his back.

ooOoo

The Host, also known as Krevlorneswath of the Deathwok clan (Lorne for short), was tallying up the receipts. It had been a very successful night mostly due to a group of Japanese businessmen in town for a convention. Their rendition of "Heartbreak Hotel" brought a tear to Lorne's eye. Too bad about the dip in their company's next quarterly statement. Luckily that little business should help balance things.

He was about to turn off the lights when he heard a thud against the front door. "Sorry, we're closed."

There was a weaker knock. Lorne debated for a moment then reached for the knob. "Face it, you're a marshmallow. A great big green marshmallow."

He opened the door and barely had time to catch the man as he fell forward. Upon seeing the elaborate knife sticking out of his back, Lorne dragged the man inside Caritas and locked the door. The bar's sanctuary spell should protect them from the piece of nastiness outside.

The bleeding man looked familiar. "Hang in there, buddy," Lorne said.

"Too late," he moaned then began to hum 'Help!' by the Beatles.

It was enough for Lorne to get a reading and see what Tom had gone through and why. "Don't worry, kid. Everything will work out."


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Opened books covered almost all the available surface space in the office. Gunn blinked his eyes several times. The words were starting to hypnotize him. He looked around at his friends. At the moment, it was just Wesley and Cordelia. Angel was still upstairs, and Fred was at Disneyland with her parents who would be leaving for home in a few days. Gunn flipped through the book he was holding and came across a picture of a horned monster. He showed it to Cordelia. "This the guy?"

"What I saw was more of a horned helmet rather than that, and it was two horns not three," Cordelia said then yawned and stretched.

Wesley closed his book with a slam. "We've got to find out what we're going to be facing."

"And we will," Cordelia assured him. "The Powers That Be wouldn't have given me the vision if we weren't meant to stop it."

"Yeah Wes, we'll get the bad guy," Gunn said. He was a little surprised by his friend who wasn't normally so intense.

"It's Giles, isn't it," Cordelia said.

Wesley sighed. "I was such a prig back in Sunnydale."

"Yeah, you were," Cordelia agreed honest to the last, "but that was lifetime ago. We've all changed, and I don't just mean hairstyles. The important thing is that we saved Giles and his sister last night, and we're going to do it again tonight."

Wesley gave her a small smile. "You're right. We'll get through this."

They were distracted by someone opening the front door.

"He's early," Cordelia said as they got up to greet their visitor. They were surprised to find Lorne in the lobby.

"Hey, gang. Better saddle up 'cause there's a whole lot of trouble brewing tonight."

ooOoo

As the cab drove off, Giles walked up to the Hyperion Hotel that was the base of Angel Investigations. He went through a small courtyard, up a short staircase and into the former hotel. Two flights of stairs winged off to the guest rooms upstairs while a third descended to the impressively vaulted lobby.

Cordelia walked out and motioned to him. "Hi, Giles. We may have a lead."

Giles followed her to the office space behind the registration desk. Wesley, Angel and Gunn stood there looking a little grim.

"You have something?" Giles asked after greeting the men.

"Yes," Wesley said. "We have it from a reliable source that the Orb of Scelus is in

Los Angeles, and the Vultek are after it."

"Oh dear lord," Giles said now realizing the nature of the trouble they were in.

"We think the orb was hidden in the arena where the wrestling show will be tonight," Cordelia said.

"Which would explain why Trish and I were in your vision," Giles deduced. "So what's your plan?"

"Find the orb and return it to where it belongs," Angel said.

"How?" Giles asked.

"We found a teleportation spell," Wesley explained.

"And the Vultek?"

"In addition to being able to appear out of nowhere, they're big, strong and relentless," Angel said, "but they can be killed."

"Your usual slice and dice," Gunn said.

"What he means is to kill it, you must decapitate it," Wesley clarified. "We have weapons, but we'll need a way to get them and ourselves into the arena so we can locate the orb."

"I'll give my sister a call," Giles said.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

One of Stephanie McMahon's favourite places was an empty arena before a show. Let Shane run Dad's new Media Division, she thought, I'd rather be on the road. She looked at the empty seats that would soon be filled with screaming fans. She just finished checking her clipboard when her cellphone rang. "Hello?"

"Hi, Stephanie. It's me, Trish."

"What's up?"

"Um, I was wondering if I could get four backstage passes for some friends of my brother's. They're really big fans."

"Shouldn't be a problem. Where are you now?"

"Rupert and I are heading for the Dudleys' locker room."

"I'll meet you there. I want to see if that shower's been repaired."

Stephanie ended the call and made her way to the locker room. As she passed a dark corridor, she thought she saw something move. "Hello? Is someone there?"

She froze in place as a monster walked toward her. It looked like an extra from _The Lord of the Rings_. At first, she thought it was a joke, but the glowing red eyes convinced her otherwise. The fight-or-flight instinct kicked in. She flew. Fast. Screaming.

She ran down the corridor cursing her love of high heels. She looked back at the monster and subsequently collided with Edge. They went down in a pile of arms and legs.

Edge's eyes widened at the sight, and he scrambled to his feet keeping himself between Stephanie and the monster. "Look pal, I don't know who you are but ..."

Edge didn't get chance to finish as the monster punched him in the solar plexus knocking him into Stephanie. "This is not good," he said wincing.

ooOoo

Trish and Giles were turning the corner when they heard a woman's scream. They arrived in time to see the monster punch Edge who was shielding Stephanie.

Trish noticed some folded steel chairs leaning against a wall, grabbed one and hit the monster with it. The monster shook off the blow and swept the blond with a massive hand sending her spinning into her brother. Trish looked up as she felt something thundering pass her. It was Bubba followed closely by Jeff Hardy.

Bubba's younger brother Spike pulled Trish and Giles over to Stephanie and said, "Stay here. We'll handle this."

Trish watched as the small wrestler rushed off to help his brother. She fumed while her own brother said the same thing leaving her and her boss by the entrance of the locker room. "Yeah right," she said then went to find a weapon.

Trish searched the locker room and stumbled across a pipewrench near the showers. She had no idea why someone would have such a large tool for such a small job like a broken showerhead, but at the moment she didn't care. Lifting the heavy weapon with both hands, she made her way back to the fight.

Her friends were trying a group attack, all of them piling on top of the monster. Trish snuck around them then ducked as the creature surged up sending the wrestlers sprawling. It pulled out its sword. She said a little prayer and swung the pipewrench as hard as she could against the back of the monster's knees.

It fell to the ground with a roar. Before it had a chance to get up, something came down on its neck. It came down over and over until the creature's head was severed. There was low rumbling, and the head and body disappeared leaving a faint scorch mark on the floor.

Wide-eyed, Trish found her brother standing there looking very un-librarian-like with a bleeding lip and a bloody fire-ax.

"Slice and dice," he said panting slightly. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so," Trish replied then noticed her friends staring at her in unblinking shock. She bit her lower lip and said hesitantly. "Um, hi, guys."


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Trish never heard a locker room so quiet. Bubba, Spike, Edge, Jeff and Stephanie sat in silence as her brother began to explain the situation.

"All the things that go bump in the night are real. The creature we just fought was one of them," Giles said.

"What was that?" Edge asked.

"It was a Vultek," Giles replied. "It's from another dimension."

"What was it doing in my arena?" Stephanie asked.

"Searching for something that may have been hidden here last night," Giles answered carefully.

Sensing there was more, Stephanie asked, "did it find what it was looking for, and, if not, are more of those things on their way?"

"I don't think it found what it was looking for so there is a good chance more will come," Giles admitted. "Some friends of mine are investigators who specialize in paranormal situations. They're on their way."

"Which was why you wanted the passes," Stephanie deduced. "Don't worry, I'm going to make sure your ghostbusters have total access to the entire arena."

"So what are the Vulcans looking for?" Jeff asked.

Giles cleared his throat. "The Vultek are looking for the Orb of Scelus. A war is taking place in their dimension. If they find the orb, it will tip the scales decidedly in the Vultek's favour."

"What does this orb do?" Bubba asked.

"It absorbs emotions and converts them into energy. Considering the raw emotions of a typical WWE audience such as last night's, the orb is likely close to reaching the critical point and may blow at any time," Giles said.

"Great, just what every WWE event needs. An emotional time bomb," Stephanie moaned. "Your friends know how to stop it from exploding?"

"Yes, if we can find it in time," Giles said.

"How did this orb get here?" Spike asked.

"The orb was being safeguarded by a group of monks, and its power neutralized. Unfortunately, it was stolen and sold. The new owners were attacked, and one of them was able to hide it here," Giles answered. "Miss McMahon, my friends will be here soon. We will take care of everything."

"You helped save my life. I think you can call me Stephanie," she said getting to her feet. "Let's go meet them."

As they left the locker room, Trish faced her friends. "Thanks for your help with the Vultek. I'm sorry you got mixed up in this, but don't worry. My brother and I will take care of everything."

Bubba stood up and walked over to her. "You plan on going monster hunting. I wonder if you'll need some help. Hmmm, I'm thinking YES!"

Trish looked up at the glowering wrestler and gave him a small smile. "You'd do that for me?"

He put his hands in his camouflage-patterned shorts and shrugged. "You're my girl."

"Bubba Ray Dudley, I love you," Trish declared and gave him a big kiss.

"Awwww," the other wrestlers sighed melodramatically causing the couple separated blushing slightly.

Trish turned to them. "Look guys..."

Spike held up his hand to stop her from continuing. "Sorry, but Bubba and I are a bit of a package deal."

Jeff, known as one of the most daring wrestlers in the company, simply said, "It'd be the ultimate extreme."

Edge grinned. "Us Canucks gotta stick together."

Trish's smile lit up the room. "You guys are the best."


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Are you sure about this?" Wesley asked clearly not too pleased about the situation.

"Trust me, the more you try to discourage them, the more they're going to want to help," Trish said.

One look at the determined wrestlers, and Wesley knew she was right. Just as well, he thought. A second vision hit Cordelia before they left for the arena. In the vision, there were other people in the fight that she didn't know. When they met Trish's friends, Wesley noticed a flash of recognition come over the brunette's face.

He turned to the wrestlers. "Okay, as you may know the Vultek can only be killed by beheading them. Have any of you used a sword before?"

Bubba said, "I used a kendo stick in a hardcore match once."

Edge admitted, "I sometimes got spearing penalties when I played hockey as a teenager."

Jeff said, "I watched _The Musketeer_ four times."

Spike added, "'Pirates of the Caribbean' is my favourite ride at Disneyland."

Wesley looked at them for a moment then said, "Gunn, give them the maces."

"I used to fence at university," Trish said.

Wesley went to the bag they had brought and pulled out a short sword. "Cordelia felt you might need this."

Trish accepted the sword with a touch of apprehension, and the rest of the weapons were distributed.

Welsey laid out the plan. "The main thing is to find the orb. If we can do that and send it back to where it belongs, the Vultek will have no reason to come back here. We'll split up, go in opposite directions and meet at the other side of the arena."

"Sounds good," Spike said, "but people are going to ask questions if we start walking around with swords and maces."

"Trenchcoats," Trish blurted out. "Edge and I usually wear trenchcoats. Rupert, Angel and Wesley also have long coats. Between the five of us, we should be able to hide the weapons."

"Well, most of them," Cordelia said looking pointedly at Gunn and his custom-made battle-ax.

"You're not touching my ax," he said.

"Heaven forbid anyone get between a boy and his toy," Cordelia said rolling her eyes.

"Damn straight," Gunn agreed very seriously.

ooOoo

Although he enjoyed training the newest bunch of wrestling hopefuls on the latest version of _Tough Enough_, Al Snow missed the main show. He stopped by the arena to touch base with Stephanie and some of his fellow wrestlers. He saw two of the younger ones heading toward him now with a small entourage. "Hey guys!"

"Hey Al," Jeff said oddly. "How's it going?"

"It's going," he said. "Who're your friends?"

"They're some Edgeheads from the audience," Edge replied.

"We're big fans," one of them said with a British accent.

Frankly Al wondered if the man had ever seen a professional wrestling match but was distracted by the object the young black man held. "What's that?"

"It's, uh, a new prop idea," Edge said.

"Yeah, we were just going to see Stephanie and show her," Jeff added.

"Is that a hubcap?" Al asked intrigued.

"Yes, yes it is," Jeff replied.

"We thought it might work for Hardcore Holly," Edge explained. "You know, with his racing background."

"Good one," Jeff whispered.

"Thanks," Edge whispered back.

"Can I take a look?" Al asked as imaginative uses for such a prop went through his head.

The small group closed flanks, and Al swore he heard metal clang. The pretty brunette smiled at him. "Thing is, it's kind of fragile, but we'd love to show you the finished product once Stephanie's approved."

"We better get going," Jeff said.

"Yeah, it's great seeing you. Talk to you later!" Edge said leaving behind a slightly confused Al Snow.

ooOoo

Angel was with Giles, Trish and the Dudleys when he found the supply closet in question. He groaned when he saw the remnants of the tape and the hole in the grating above the shelf. He pulled out his cellphone to call the others.

"Yes?" Wesley answered.

"We found the supply closet."

"Great!"

"Not so great. From the looks of the things, it was either taken or got bored, broke free and flew into the ventilation system."

"It could be anywhere," Wesley moaned.

Angel agreed then overheard Gunn yell.

"Wesley, we got company!"

"Angel, get over here now!" Wesley shouted before being cut-off.

The vampire needed no further urging. He took off, followed closely by the others.

ooOoo

Ted Stern was in the midst of checking his camera when he heard the thunder of footsteps rush by. He saw some guy being chased by Trish, the Dudleys and the man Stacy had flirted with.

Suspecting something exciting was about to happen, Ted grabbed his camera and followed them, discreetly of course.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Thousands of fans and most of the crew were captivated by the action of the night's main event and were completely unaware of the battle being fought in a secluded part of the arena below them.

ooOoo

Spike rounded the corner with the others just in time to see Angel attack the Vultek that was fighting with Wesley. This time there were two Vultek, and they had brought reinforcements. "What the hell are those? Rejects from _The Mummy Returns_?"

"Those are the Canus. They come from the same dimension as the Vultek. They're not as strong, but their bite is poisonous," Giles explained as one of the creatures rushed toward them; its jackal-like jaws snapping viciously. At the last moment, the British man took a step to the side, spun and, with a grunt, neatly sliced its head off.

"Be careful," Giles warned then charged the Vultek that shoved Angel aside.

ooOoo

Ted turned the corner camera ready then blinked at the sight.

His earpiece crackled, "what the-"

"Control, you getting this?" Ted asked excitement filling is voice.

"We're getting something," was the response.

Ted was so caught up in filming the scene before him that he didn't notice Spike Dudley being shoved in his direction.

ooOoo

"Look out," Spike yelled as he went crashing into the cameraman. They fell to the ground in a pile of limbs, and the wrestler lost his mace.

Spike could hear a snarling Canus nearby. The wrestler grabbed the camera and swung it hitting the creature in the head.

"A little help here," Spike called out swinging the camera again.

"Cordelia," Wesley ordered.

"On it," she said leaving her teammates to deal with the Vultek. She rushed to Spike's side and stabbed the Canus with her sword. Finding his mace, Spike it hit again, and Cordelia hacked away until its head fell off.

ooOoo

"What the hell was that?!" Sam, the production manager, asked in disbelief.

"Dunno," one of the assistants replied. "A scene from _Evil Dead_?"

"Get someone over there," Sam ordered.

"All the other cameramen are at ringside."

Sam glared. "I don't care if they're filming on the moon! Get someone over there now! And someone get Stephanie over here. She's gonna want to see this."

ooOoo

The fight was going well, Trish thought. The wrestlers dealt with the Canus while her brother and his friends took care of the Vultek. Spike protected the fallen cameraman, and Cordelia hacked off Canus heads when possible. Deciding they had things under control, Trish went to help the others.

One Vultek deflected Giles' sword and sent him flying towards a wall. Angel renewed the attack while Trish waited for an opening. A particularly harsh blow forced Angel to his knees. Trish watched in disbelief as his face changed before her eyes.

She gasped, "he's a, a..."

"I know," her brother said coming to her side. "Trust me."

"Look out," Angel shouted then fell on top of them, losing his sword in the process.

Trish's gaze flickered between the vampire's growling visage that faced her and the Vultek's raised weapon. Suddenly the monster threw its head back and howled. When it turned slightly, she saw Bubba standing behind it with his mace.

It was enough of a distraction for Angel to make his move. He pushed Giles and Trish out of the way then kicked the Vultek in the stomach. Flipping to his feet, he spun and kicked it again causing it to double over.

"Angel," Giles called out and tossed him his sword.

The vampire caught the blade and with a fluid motion sliced the Vultek's head off. At the same time, Wesley and Gunn finished off the remaining Vultek leaving nothing behind except scorch marks.

"Is everyone alright?" Wesley asked panting heavily.

"Think so," Edge replied.

"Ted's still out. I'll get a medic," Spike said leaving Cordelia to kneel down beside the injured cameraman.

"Well, that was fun," Gunn said examining his battle-ax for damage.

Angel stilled. "You hear that?"

"What?" Giles asked in concern.

"That rumbling," Angel said straining to locate the source.

"Are the Vultek coming back?" Jeff asked.

"We've got to find the orb," Wesley said when suddenly there was a bang above them and a large metal grating fell with a clang.

"I don't think that's going to be a problem," Cordelia said as they all looked up to find a large dark sphere pulsing ominously.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Stephanie rushed to the control room. She had been passing by a monitor and saw the footage of Trish and her friends.

"Did it go out live?" she asked.

"What little there was, yeah," Sam said proudly. "Don't worry. I sent Terri to do the follow-up."

"Oh god," Stephanie said.

ooOoo

The orb was ricocheting all over like a pinball. So far it had knocked over Edge, Gunn and Wesley. The rest ducked behind whatever cover they could find.

"I thought you said it was the size of a ping pong ball," Gunn said and cursed as it headed toward him again. There was a high-pitched humming that began to grow louder.

"It's normally small, but it's been feeding emotions since it was stolen," Wesley explained from his hiding place behind a packing crate. "It's in the final stages before it goes critical. We have to contain it."

"Good plan, boss. Any idea how?" Cordelia asked sarcastically then squeaked as the orb hit a pillar two feet away.

Thoughts raced through Trish's mind when she spotted the large casket use in the Kane/Triple H match the previous night. She climbed on top of a heavy equipment case for a better look. "It's crazy, but it just might work," she muttered then shouted, "Bubba, open the casket. Jeff, if the orb comes your way, send it towards me."

Jeff shot her a puzzled look from the other side of the room then swung his mace like a baseball bat as the orb came at him. He connected, and the impact sent vibrations up his arms.

The orb squealed in protest as it was sent hurtling toward Trish. She waited for just the right moment then jumped kicking the orb with a side volley that would have made her university soccer coach proud.

The orb spun toward Bubba. As it hit the raised lid, the wrestler slammed the casket closed trapping it inside. The mystical ball went ballistic, and Angel ran to the other side to help keep it contained.

"Wesley, the spell," Giles said as he went to his sister.

Wesley took out a small pouch from his pocket then nodded to Bubba and Angel. The men opened the casket, and the orb shot up.

"Freosan!" Wesley commanded freezing it for a moment. He flung the pouch at the orb. Upon impact, it released a fine gold powder, and Wesley recited the incantation in a loud voice, "Abscedere Quo Salus!"

The orb vibrated rapidly in place. The darkness within it swirled and dissipated leaving behind a whiteness so bright it was almost blinding. It began to shrink until it reached its normal size then imploded with a soft ping.

"Is it over?" Edge asked looking around them.

"Yes, it's over," Wesley said visibly relieved.

The clicking of high heels rushing to the scene distracted them. A petite and extremely curvaceous blond with a microphone followed closely by a cameraman turned the corner. Giles and his friends quietly walked to a far wall trying to remain unnoticed.

"Did we miss it?" she demanded.

"Miss what, Terri?" Trish asked innocently.

"Don't give me that," she said in annoyance. "The feed from Ted's camera went out live, and Sam sent me to do the follow-up. You guys ready to go?"

One look at her friends' panic-stricken faces told Trish she would have to take the lead. "We're ready."

ooOoo

"I'm here with Trish Stratus, Bubba Dudley, Jeff Hardy and Edge," Terri said in her interviewer voice. "Moments ago, we saw some very strange footage of a fight. What can you tell us about it?"

"Well, Terri, there were some hoodlums trying to steal some equipment, but we stopped them," Trish explained.

"You appeared to be fighting monsters," Terri said.

"Yes, they were dressed rather unusually," Trish agreed. "I guess some people love Halloween a little too much. I think they might have been high on drugs, which of course is just wrong as I'm sure you'd agree. So remember kids, don't do drugs."

Trish flashed a bright smile, and her friends followed her example. Edge even gave a thumbs up as a bewildered Terri signed off.

ooOoo

"Don't do drugs?" Gunn repeated in confusion.

"Whenever I checked the _Sunnydale Press_ website, they always attributed any weird disturbance to gangs hopped up on drugs. I figured it might work here," Trish shrugged.

"I guess we'll have to wait to find out," Angel said.

"Well, don't worry about the videotape footage," Stephanie said coming up to the heroes of the day. "I 'accidentally' erased the copy in the control room. The only other copies will be those made by VCRs of fans at home."

"But what if the footage gets on the Internet?" Cordelia asked.

"I saw what was aired. It was dark, fuzzy and jerky. Even if it gets on the Net, no one from the WWE will comment on it so it'll drive the fans crazy," Stephanie said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "It'll become an urban myth. Trust me."

ooOoo

Author's technological note: Remember, this story is still set back in the early 2000s when VCRs were still commonly used.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Wesley picked up the coffee pot with misgivings. The contents had the consistency of sludge and the smell of something toxic. He carefully placed the pot in the sink to soak.

Perhaps for three days, he thought as he returned to his office then blinked in surprise to find someone already there. "Mr. Giles, I didn't hear you come in."

"Cordelia sent me in," Giles explained. "She was on her way to train with Angel."

"Yes, she's becoming quite good as you saw last night. What can I do for you?"

"I just came by to say thank you. I don't know what we would've done without you and the others. I was also asked to drop this off courtesy of World Wrestling Entertainment," Giles said taking something out of his jacket pocket and handed it over to the other man.

Wesley accepted the envelope, and his eyes widened at the amount written on the cheque inside.

Giles observed, "You've changed since leaving Sunnydale."

"I'm no longer a blueberry scone?" Wesley asked with a half smile.

"More like a multigrain loaf. More substantive. You've done very well for yourself here. For what it's worth, I'm proud of you."

Wesley saw the sincerity in the other man's eyes then said, "It means a lot. Thank you."

After shaking hands, Wesley asked, "When do you return to England?"

"I leave in two days. Since it's their last night in Los Angeles, I thought I'd take my sister and her friends to Caritas."

Wesley grinned. "A word of warning. Try not to antagonize the other customers. Caritas' non-violence spell only works inside the club."

ooOoo

"This is it?" Edge asked. "Cara-, Cari-"

"Caritas," Trish said. "It means 'mercy' in Latin."

"Your girlfriend's smart," Jeff teased Bubba in his best Beavus impersonation.

"And she's got a cute accent, too," Bubba added.

"Yeah, about that," Spike commented. "It's been getting more and more British."

"That's what happens when I'm around any of my British relatives," she explained. "A couple more days and I'll be saying knickers, shagging, blimey, bollocks and sod off."

"Now please remember, this club is a sanctuary for humans and demons alike. There's a spell preventing any sort of violence within the club," Giles said. "However, that only applies inside not outside so try not to make any enemies, okay?"

"Yes, Dad," the four male wrestlers said causing Giles to roll his eyes.

They went down a small staircase and through a security gate. At first glance, the club looked perfectly normal, but a closer look at the clientele told a different story.

"Well, Hardy," Bubba said, "I've finally found people stranger than you."

"Hey," Jeff said clearly offended.

"You're still one of the strangest people I know," Trish said with a smile.

"Thank you," Jeff said somewhat mollified.

"Then again..." she said spotting a bald demon with four rows of horns coming of out his head.

They found a table and watched as a woman with an oddly wrinkled face belt out 'I Will Survive' slightly off-key. When she finished, a slender demon joined her on the stage. He had green skin, red eyes, spiky dark blond hair, two small red horns coming out of his forehead and dressed like John Travolta in _Saturday Night Fever_.

"Let's give it up for Halfrek," he said as the female demon curtsied giggling. "Now you're in for a treat with the musical stylings of Bob and Norman."

A large demon with a second smaller head coming out of his chest like something out of _Alien_ lumbered onto the stage and began to sing 'Breaking Up is Hard to Do.'

"Okay, now I've seen everything," Spike said.

The green demon came to the table. "Welcome to Caritas. I'm the Host. Congratulations on saving the city. The first round of drinks is on the house. I'll also have someone bring over a list of songs in case any of you would like to indulge in a bit of singing." He smiled, motioned to a waiter and left to greet some more newcomers.

"I want a song," Trish said looking at her brother who simply raised an eyebrow.

"What song?" Edge asked.

"I want 'Freebird'," she said still staring at her brother.

"Why?" Jeff asked puzzled.

"When I was small and upset because of my parents' fights, Rupert would sing me to sleep. 'Freebird' is my favourite, but I might settle for 'Rocket Man'," Trish said then shot one more pleading look at her brother. "Please?"

Giles smiled. "Maybe."

"Wonder what other songs they have," Jeff said flipping through a list of titles a waiter had left on the table. "Hey, they got 'Jumpin' Jack Flash'!"

"It's a gas, gas, gas," Trish giggled.

"Barry White," Spike nodded with approval as he glanced at the list then noticed the looks from his friends. "Everybody likes a little Barry White."

"They got Tom Jones," Edge said with a touch of happy surprise.

This time the other wrestlers' jaws dropped.

"What? My mum's a big fan," Edge said somewhat defensively. "It's not unusual."

ooOoo

Giles was at the bar getting another drink as he watched his sister and her boyfriend sing 'I Got You Babe.' Bubba looked like he'd rather be put through a table than sing, but Trish was having the time of her life.

"They're going to be okay."

Giles turned to find the Host smiling at him. "Excuse me?"

"Your sister and her friends. There may be some bumps along the way, but they'll be okay," the Host said. "I'm assuming Wesley told you about me."

"You can read a person's aura if you hear him or her sing," Giles said.

"I can even get a reading from a hum. That was a great job of 'Freebird' by the way. Really good tone," the Host commented. "I know you're worried about your friends in Sunnydale, but you're doing the right thing."

Giles stared at the demon for a moment then asked quietly, "are you sure?"

"Things may get ugly. That's inevitable on the Hellmouth, but yes. What you're doing is necessary for them to grow up, and no one ever said that was easy."

"Nor is letting go," Giles sighed then clinked his glass against the Host's raised one. "Nor is letting go."

The End.


End file.
